Release:
1975 Directed by: Steven Spielberg Written by: Peter Benchley (novel and screenplay)
and Carl Gottlieb (screenplay)
Starring:
Roy Scheider as Police Chief Martin Brody Robert Shaw as Quint Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody
Aquaphobia:
Fear of Water
Over 30 years ago I was allowed to go with my father to the
movie theater at a local outdoor mall in suburbia California. Back then
there were two different movies playing (in the same
place…two movies!) and one of them was Jaws.
I think the other may have been Fantasia but
I’m not sure. Jaws was the film I was
there to watch. I was very young…and actually I’m
not really sure why I was allowed to go and see Jaws
at all considering my age and the movie’s “parental
guidance” rating. I guess my parents thought I could handle
it.
Well, I
could handle it, and I LOVED it. The trouble is, to this very day
images from Jaws cross my mind every single time I swim
in the ocean…or in a lake…or in a
river…or in a swimming pool. I am not alone.
The storyline in Jaws involves a small coastal town
called Amity, a Police Chief named Brody (Roy Scheider), a marine
biologist named Matt (Richard Dreyfuss) and the hardened fisherman
Quint (Robert Shaw). Oh, and a shark.
Ok, not just “a shark”, but THE shark.
A Great White Shark – huge and hungry…and
vindictive.
Amity is an ocean-front tourist town and the high-season is
approaching. Unfortunately, so is the shark. When a shark attack early
in the season threatens to close down the lucrative sun-worshiping
tourist trade the mayor of Amity (Murray Hamilton) does his best to put
a lid on the drama while Brody is determined to “protect and
serve”.
As Jaws progresses we learn that this is not a
run-of-the-mill “animal attack” story, but a battle
of wills between an intelligent and determined killer and a would-be
hero. The final showdown must happen on the
killer’s home turf – the deep blue sea.
Jaws is classic
horror through and through. Don’t be fooled by the fact that
the killer is a shark – this shark is as ruthless and cunning
as any murderous slasher taking human form. The
budget is large and the acting is first rate. The original film quality
is a bit grainy, betraying the 1975 release date, but this just adds to
the feeling that we are witnessing true and horrifying events. (The 30
year anniversary edition cleaned this up somewhat.)
The most notable element of Jaws, however, is the impact.
Impact in 1975 when the film was released, the cultural impact the film
has had after decades of being firmly entrenched in pop-culture, and
the impact it will have on you when you watch Jaws
for the first time.
The fact that Jaws
was released so long ago is reason enough for many newer-generation
horror freaks to discount it as an old “shark attack
movie”. This is compounded by the unfortunate
release of several terrible sequels that did little more then
dilute the power and impact of the original. My wholehearted
recommendation is that horror freaks young and old make a place for Jaws
on their horror agendas.
If for no other reason, watch Jaws for the
nostalgia value and to ensure that you remain a well-rounded Horror
Aficionado. You think it’s unnerving to
walk around your dark house after watching Friday
the 13th or Halloween?
Just wait until the first time you swim in the ocean
(or a lake) after watching Jaws. Questions
or comments about Jaws? Contact us!
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Ok, not just “a shark”, but THE shark.
A Great White Shark – huge and hungry…and
vindictive.
Jaws is classic
horror through and through. Don’t be fooled by the fact that
the killer is a shark – this shark is as ruthless and cunning
as any murderous slasher taking human form. The
budget is large and the acting is first rate. The original film quality
is a bit grainy, betraying the 1975 release date, but this just adds to
the feeling that we are witnessing true and horrifying events. (The 30
year anniversary edition cleaned this up somewhat.)
The fact that Jaws
was released so long ago is reason enough for many newer-generation
horror freaks to discount it as an old “shark attack
movie”. This is compounded by the unfortunate
release of several terrible sequels that did little more then
dilute the power and impact of the original. My wholehearted
recommendation is that horror freaks young and old make a place for Jaws
on their horror agendas.
